


The Sounds of Silence

by not1inamillion



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst with a Happy Ending, Campus Radio!AU, Fluff, John Winchester's A+ Parenting, M/M, Swearing, some underage drinking probably
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-10
Updated: 2017-01-15
Packaged: 2018-09-16 12:24:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,560
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9271328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/not1inamillion/pseuds/not1inamillion
Summary: Dean Winchester is scared of silence. Castiel works with his brother at the campus radio station. It seems like a match made in heaven. And maybe it could be, if Dean's past didn't keep leaking into his present...





	1. Hey, I just met you...

**Author's Note:**

> I decided to bring this fic back! Admittedly, updates may be sporadic, but I will try my damnedest to stick with it. Of course, kudos and comments are always welcomed/encouraged! 
> 
> Also, given that music plays a major part in this fic, there will be a song either included in/ or the muse of each chapter.   
> Song: Call Me Maybe- Carly Rae Jepsen (sorry/not sorry)
> 
> Happy reading!

***Castiel***

“And coming up next, per request, is a blast from the past. I thought we had finally moved on from 2012, but someone on campus is clearly clinging to middle school. ‘Call Me Maybe’ is coming your way after this short break.” Gabriel gives the thumbs up to Castiel, who cuts to a commercial. Something about a spring break mission trip that some club is sponsoring. 

“Listen Cassie, I know you have to keep the listeners interested, but this ‘request hour’ is killing me,” Gabriel groans through the mic on his end. 

“It makes the audience feel included,” Castiel insists feebly.

“It makes me want to blow chunks,” Gabriel counters.

“Request hour is a station tradition.”

“Whatever you say, Cassie.”

“Please don’t call me that.”

The commercial ends, and Castiel can faintly hear the opening to ‘Call Me Maybe’. Castiel could practically hear the groan from Gabriel through the soundproof glass. He tried to suppress a smile, to no avail. Gabriel flips him off, which only makes Castiel break into a full laugh.

Castiel sees a light appear on the phone board. “Gabriel, a call is coming in. Please do not harass the listeners.”

“No promises.”

Castiel puts the phone call through, so both Castiel and Gabriel could listen and talk to the caller while the music played.

“Hello?” A gruff voice comes through now. “Is this Radio 104.9? Campus Radio?”

“Yes, it is.” Castiel clears his throat. “Would you like to make a request?” 

“Well, yes and no. I mostly called to tell you that right now this station is kind of sucking ass. Enough with the pop music, man! This station is the only one that comes through on campus, could you at least try to not make my ears bleed?”

On the other side of the glass, Castiel can see Gabriel all but dying from laughter. 

Castiel starts stuttering. “Well, um, I mean…” 

“What my stuttering audio guy means to say is,” Gabriel interjects on the other line, “he wholeheartedly agrees, and that this generic trash must be stopped immediately. What’s your poison?”

The guy on the other line seems to think for a second. “Try some classic rock. AC/DC. Metallica.”

“Can do. What’s your name? We’ll give you a shoutout.”

“Dean Winchester.”

“Well Dean Winchester, I’ll have my audio slave find something more to your tastes. Hop to it, Cassie.” 

Castiel bites his tongue, because they’re still on the line with a caller, after all, and arguing with his big brother right then would be terribly unprofessional.

Castiel begins to go through the music playlist they had at their disposal on the station. He only vaguely listens to Gabriel and Dean finish their conversation. Something about the shortcomings of modern music. Both sound elitist, in Castiel’s opinion. When it comes to music, to each their own.

Castiel presses the button on the soundboard so that Gabriel can hear him. “Hey Gabriel, I found a lot of AC/DC. What should I play?”

“Dean seems like a ‘Girls Got Rhythm’ kind of guy. Queue that up.”

Castiel does as he is told, then points to Gabriel to indicate that he’s back on air.

“That was ‘Call Me Maybe’ on Radio 104.9, your campus playlist. This is the Candy Man. Next up we have a request from one Dean Winchester, who all but begged us for some classic rock. This one is for you, Dean-o.” Gabriel nods to Castiel, who plays the track.

“So Dean sounded hot, didn’t he?” Gabriel says conversationally, once he’s confident his mic isn’t tapped in anymore.

“Gabriel, please.”

“I’m just saying. Do you have caller ID on that machine? Those digits could come in handy.”

“Just because I am gay does not mean I’m desperate.”

“I am aware that those are two mutually exclusive things. You just happen to be both.”

“I’m not talking about this, Gabriel.”

“Don’t call me Gabriel. You sound like mom.”

“It’s your name.”

“You’re hopeless.”

***Dean***

“Hell yeah! That’s the kind of music I’m talking about!” Dean cheers, upon hearing the opening riff of ‘Girls Got Rhythm’.

“Look at you, changing campus for the better,” Jo says sarcastically.

“I still don’t see the problem with pop. Sometimes you just need something light and fluffy,” Charlie comments.

“You’re nuts, Bradbury. With music, you gotta go hard or go home.”

“You’re such a music snob.” She shoots back.

“What can I say, I was raised right.” Far from the truth, but if there’s one thing John gave him that’s worth a damn, it’s his mom’s old vinyl collection. Real music. And of course the Impala. But that was always more like Dean’s birthright. Sam just didn’t dig cars the way Dean does. When John died it just seemed natural that Dean would inherit the car. But those records, his parents’ taste in music… That was one of the only gifts John gave him when he was still alive.

“You’re all nuts,” Benny cuts in, raising his eyebrows at the group.

Dean raises his beer. “Amen to that.”


	2. All I know is a simple name

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: Everything Has Changed- Taylor Swift ft. Ed Sheehan  
> I DONT CARE IF ITS CHEESY I LIKE IT

***Castiel***

“The organization of the radio station really is horrendous,” Castiel comments as he and Gabe walk through the brisk morning air.

“These early mornings are really killing you, huh?” Gabe smiles. Somehow he always has energy, no matter what time of day it is. Gabriel at his low point is still more energetic than Castiel at his high. He just can’t understand how he never gets tired.

“Doesn’t a real radio station have set shows at set times? Why do they always have to mix up the schedule? I hate 5 a.m. shows. No one listens anyway.”

“I’m not gonna rock the boat. The only reason they gave me my own time slot to begin with was because I was bringing in my own audio guy.” He nudges Cas. “I’m telling you, they don’t give anyone a time slot unless they’re part of some sort of campus radio inner circle I somehow didn’t get invited to. I’ll take what I can get.”

“And I guess that means I have to as well,” Castiel grumbles.

“C’mon, cheer up. I’ll buy you a cup of coffee. There’s that little place on east campus that we never get around to, right? Let’s check it out.”

The only thing Castiel wants to check out is his bed, but he follows Gabe through campus, trying not to slip into sleepwalking. He makes it there alive, but just barely. Gabriel wisely doesn’t say anything through the whole walk, sensing that Castiel will snap if spoken to. Instead he just whistles to himself, some quick tune Castiel doesn’t recognize. Gabriel is always finding new, underground music to listen to. 

The coffee shop, Slice of Heaven, is admittedly very cute. A little brick building not uncommon to find on the east campus. It’s partially shaded by trees, which probably means it gets lost in the shrubbery in favor of the much more conveniently located Starbucks. It seems like a place Gabriel would frequent, but evidently he is new as well.

Both men step in, and are greeted by warm air and a lot of smells. Coffee, vanilla, cinnamon, all the best parts of being in a coffee shop waft through the air. All of the furniture is wooden and weathered. Newspaper articles and funky, most likely student made, art crowd the walls. The campus radio station is playing softly in the background.

Castiel loves everything about it, even before seeing the hot barista.

“It’s almost 7 a.m. on a Sunday. Did you guys party too hard last night or what?” The barista smiles teasingly. The smile is far too enticing. 

The closer Castiel gets, the more details he can pick up. Eyes that seem too green to be real. Sandy hair, not styled in any particular fashion. A tattoo on his collarbone, although Castiel can’t tell what it is. The barista’s apron covers a fair portion. But bottom line, this guy is way too attractive, especially at this hour.

“If only. We just figured we’d pop in and see what poor bastard they have working the graveyard shift. We’re conducting a study on shitty part time jobs,” Gabriel says easily, unfairly unaffected by the man’s attractiveness. 

“I’ve had worse man, believe me,” The barista promises. His name tag reads ‘Dean W.’ Castiel feels like he should know him.

Gabe nods. “You haven’t had a shitty job until you’re a busboy at Taco Bell. Those people are fucking brutal.”

“That’s just the customer service life.”

“I’m out of that business, thankfully. Got myself a time slot on the campus radio.”

“Wait a second, I knew I recognized your voice! Don’t tell me, you’re the Candy Man?”

Gabriel tilts back his head and laughs. “I see I’ve encountered a fan! In the flesh however, I go by Gabe.”

“I wouldn’t call myself a fan. A few days ago I called in to complain about your shitty music taste.” 

For the first time, Gabriel notices the name tag. “You’ve got to be kidding me! Dean ‘Girls Got Rhythm’ Winchester?”

“In the flesh, I just go by Dean,” He corrects, eyes shining.

“Well I was right, you are hot,” Gabriel says bluntly, which causes Castiel to go terrifically red. “This is my brother Cassie, by the way. He’s my sound guy, and the man behind the dreaded request hour.”

“It’s a station tradition,” Castiel intones feebly. “And my name is Castiel.”

Dean raises his eyebrows. “Well there’s a name I’ve never heard before. The baristas must love you down at Starbucks. Anyone just call you Cas?”

“It beats Cassie or ‘audio slave’,” Castiel admits.

Dean smiles again, and if Cas could, he would collect that smile and put it in a jar to keep forever. It’s that radiant. “Then Cas it is.”

***Dean***

“What are you thinking about?” Sam asks, breaking Dean out of his thoughts.

“Hm? Nothing. No one. What are you reading?” Dean stumbles over his words, and makes a weak gesture at the book in Sam’s hand.

“I was just flipping through my textbook to double check this one Latin term. But I think I’d rather hear about your day and this ‘no one’ you speak of.”

“It’s really no one. Just someone I met at work today. I’ll probably never see them again.”

“Them? Does that mean it’s a guy?” Sam can easily read Dean’s careful language that he’d developed after years of living with John.

“Um, maybe?”

“It’s okay, you know. I don’t mind. Dad isn’t around anymore. You can be who you are,” Sam encourages gently. Dean hates when Sam brings up John. Dean would much rather bury him in the past.

“I know that,” Dean snaps.

“So why deny that you found this guy attractive? It’s not a big deal.”

That’s easy for Sam to say, when he could never do any wrong in John’s eyes. Try as he might, Sam can never truly understand what Dean lived with for so many years. He doesn’t know the half of it.

“Yeah, okay. Maybe I’ll talk to him if I see him around or something.”

“Do that. Did you get his name?”

Dean allows himself a small smile, remembering blue eyes and flushed cheeks. “Castiel. Cas.”


	3. I don't know what you're looking for

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: I Bet You Look Good on the Dance Floor- Arctic Monkeys

***Castiel***

“I don’t want to hear it, Gabriel.” Cas makes sure to use his brother’s full name, just to annoy him.

“C’mon, Cassie! Would it be the worst thing in the world if you just happened to wander back into the coffee shop? I was there too, you know, and Dean was totally digging you.” Gabe leans back in his chair, somehow managing to not tip himself over.

“Who talks like that? Unless I’m a hole in the ground, I don’t think Dean was ‘digging’ me.” Castiel busies himself with packing up his things, fiddling with the soundboard, anything to pretend that he’s not having this conversation.

“Apparently you’re digging too. As in, digging your social life a grave. And digging for excuses. I can’t decide which comeback is better,” Gabe muses.

Cas sighs, having finally run out of things to distract himself with. He just wants to go back to his dorm. “First of all, those were both dumb. Second of all, I’m not going to pursue Dean, and that’s final. I’m too busy for a relationship, and I can guarantee you that I’m not his type.” He tries to say the second part nonchalantly, but it still stings to be faced with the truth. 

“Not his type as in a dude, or not his type as in a nerd?”

Castiel can’t tell if Gabe is teasing or not, so he chooses the most neutral answer he can think of. “Both.”

Gabriel sighs heavily. “I don’t mean to make you mad, Cassie, but sometimes you need a little push. Despite what you may say, I know you don’t like being alone all the time. And when you’re not alone, you’re with me, and I know you don’t like spending all your time with me.”

Screw Gabriel and his stupid accurate analyses. Despite what most may think, Gabe is so in touch with other people’s emotions it isn’t even funny. Cas isn’t sure why Gabe likes to pretend to be dense. One of the many mysteries that makes up his brother. Regardless, Cas hates when Gabe actually throws some genuine truth at him. He almost prefers the jokes.

And the more he thinks about it, it really isn’t fair to Gabe to make him hang out with his nerdy little brother all the time. They’re close, sure, but Gabe must have friends outside of Cas that he wants to spend time with. And a sort-of-girlfriend. The more Cas thinks about it, the more Cas finds that it’s a miracle that his brother doesn’t resent him.

When Cas finds himself with no response, Gabe speaks again, softer this time. “Come to a party with me tonight. I’ll try to find something your style, super lowkey. But I do think you should try to get out there. Throw shit at the wall and see what sticks.”

Cas wrinkles his nose, tracking his brother’s facial expressions. He looks so sincere. And saying yes would make Gabe so happy. And probably considerably less worried about him. If this one night of torture could get Gabe to lay off a little… It might actually be worth it. And Gabe would get to have some fun for once without feeling guilty about leaving Cas behind.

“Okay,” Cas says finally. “I’ll go out with you tonight. But I retain the right to leave whenever I’d like.”

Gabe breaks into a wide smile. “You won’t regret it, Cas. I promise. You’ll have fun.”

“Don’t hold your breath.” Castiel mumbles.

* * * * *

Too few hours later, Gabe is pounding on Castiel’s dorm door. Castiel is thankful to have opted for a single dorm this year, because Gabe would be sure to drive any roommate crazy. It’s better for everyone this way.

Cas opens the door a little too slowly for Gabriel’s liking, causing him to swing the door open the rest of the way himself, causing Cas to stumble back. 

“Jeez, what were you doing, primping?” Gabe asks, jumping onto Castiel’s bed and effectively messing up the sheets. 

Cas opens his mouth, but Gabe doesn’t leave him time to answer. “So what are you wearing tonight? Not that, I hope?” He gestures to Castiel’s current ensemble, consisting of plaid pajama bottoms and a plain white t-shirt.

“I thought this would be a good look for me,” Cas jibes. 

Gabe smiles broadly at Castiel’s lame attempt at banter. “Look at you, comin’ in hot with the jokes! You must really be in a party mood!” Castiel frowns at that, just to reinforce that he is definitely not in a party mood. 

“Open your closet for me, Cas. Lemme see what we’re working with.” Castiel obliges, and Gabe lets out a low whistle. “Damn, we’ve gotta go shopping. These are some slim pickings.”

Cas shrugs. “Sorry.”

Eventually Gabe slides himself off the bed, and begins rummaging through the closet. With some light interjections from Cas, he settles on a gray  _ Slaughterhouse-Five  _ t-shirt and dark jeans. The t-shirt is a compromise, as it’s Castiel’s favorite. Gabriel agreed on the condition that  he could style it with a button down shirt. Cas thinks he looks ridiculous. What’s the point of a button down if he’s not going to do up the buttons? Gabe rolls his eyes when Cas says as much. 

“Is Kali coming with us?” Cas finally asks as they begin to venture out the door. The sun had set long ago, and Gabe assures Cas that any party they stumble upon will be in full swing by now.

Gabe glances back at Cas, looking a little guilty. “Yeah, she’s waiting downstairs for us. Sorry, I forgot to ask if that’s okay.”

Cas offers a small smile so Gabe knows he isn’t mad. “Of course it’s okay. I like Kali.”

This makes Gabe break into a smile as well. He then launches into some ludicrous idea he has for a new radio segment, which they both know will never work. Gabe just likes to talk.

When they get downstairs, Kali is waiting on a bench outside the building as promised. Admittedly, she does look stunning. Fall has barely begun to set in, and tonight is uncharacteristically warm anyway. Kali seems to have taken advantage, dressing herself in an extremely tight white tank top, and shorts that Cas isn’t even sure qualify as pants. Gabe seems to like it though, because he has an arm around her the second they’re within arm’s length of each other. 

“I was happy to hear you’d be joining us, Cas,” Kali greets him with a smile. 

Cas shrugs. “It was either this or write an essay on the themes of authority and dissent in  _ The Song of the Cid _ .”

“That’s what you get for being an English major,” Gabe chides. “You’re stuck writing essays all the time.”

“ _ The Song of the Cid  _ was originally written in Spanish,” Castiel can’t help but correct. “It’s for my foreign literature course.”

Gabe rolls his eyes as they begin walking. “Maybe that’s not the best topic of conversation to bring up at a party. If you talk to anyone, comment on the weather or something.”

Castiel knows Gabe is joking, but he still mulls this over as they walk towards the edge of campus, where the frat houses are located. He truly does not know how to hold a conversation. Who is he kidding, going to a party? Even if someone did try to talk to him, Cas wouldn’t know how to respond. What’s there to gain? 

_ But what’s there to lose? _

At least three hours of sleep, Cas figures. But he reminds himself that this is for Gabe. He’ll just find a soda and hide in a corner for an hour or two, then fake a headache and walk himself back to his dorm. It’ll be fine. He has  _ A Tale of Two Cities  _ downloaded on his phone, so he’ll have something to do. It’ll be fine. It’ll be fine.

The frat house isn’t as crowded as Cas thought it would be. Sure, the lawn is decently packed, and no doubt there are people inside, but it doesn’t feel like the property is bursting at the seams. Which is great, because crowds tend to make Cas nervous. 

A frat guy in the driveway charges Gabe and Cas five dollars each for admission. “Girls are free,” He explains with a slimy smile. Kali makes a point to kiss Gabe on the cheek as they walk past him. But not before the frat guy had handed each of them a red solo cup. How stereotypical.

Castiel loses Gabe in the crowd almost immediately. He knows Gabe will apologize later, but honestly, Cas expected it. Gabe always manages to disappear in crowds, and Cas knows tonight is no exception. And he had Kali pinned to his side, so Cas has lost his other ally for the night as well. To be expected, really.

Cas wiggles his way inside in search of a drink. Sipping something would at least make him look busy. There’s a punch bowl that he knows not to trust, and a few bottles of vodka strewn about the counter. For a minute, he stands there like an idiot. Then he sees a guy mixing a new bowl of jungle juice by the sink, and Cas shyly asks for plain fruit punch. The guy looks at him weird, but doesn’t argue.

Drink in hand, Cas makes his way back outside, where the air is far less thick… And pungent. He finds a far corner by the fence that no one has occupied, and surveys the crowd for a little while. No one seems to notice him. Perfect. He’ll finish his drink and be on his merry way.

“Cas, right? Castiel?” A voice next to him suddenly makes him jump. He turns to find Dean of all people, clad in a leather jacket and work boots. Somehow Cas feels underdressed. But Dean would probably look attractive in a paper bag, so underdressed may not be the right word.

_ ‘Inadequate,’  _ The voice in his head supplies. Yup, there it is.

Still, Cas smiles at the newcomer all the same. “Hello Dean.”


End file.
